Govt restrained from arresting PTI leaders

The Peshawar High Court has granted protective and transit bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub, Zain Qureshi, Asad Qaiser, and Faisal Amin until November 8, and ordered that they not be arrested until then.

On Friday, two separate benches of the Peshawar High Court heard the protective and transit bail petitions.

During the hearing of the transit bail petition by Justice Sahibzada Asadullah, the petitioners' lawyers, Alam Khan Adinzai and Arshad Ahmed informed the court that cases had been filed against their clients in Hassan Abdal.

They expressed that their clients wished to appear before the courts but feared arrest, so they requested transit bail. At this point, Justice Asadullah asked Faisal Amin why he had not appeared in court within ten days after being granted bail the first time.

He added that this is the second time they are granting transit bail, and they must appear before the court, warning that no further transit bail would be given next time.

Omar Ayub informed the court that he had appeared in all previous cases, but new cases had been registered against him. The court granted transit bail to Omar Ayub, Asad Qaiser, Zain Qureshi, and Faisal Amin until November 8.

Similarly, a two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Waqar Ahmed began hearing the protective bail petitions of the four PTI assembly members. During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Sanaullah and the petitioners' lawyers Alam Khan Adinzai and Arshad Ahmed appeared before the court.

The court was informed that various cases had been filed against the petitioners, but the government was not providing them with the details of these cases. For the cases they were aware of, they had already sought transit bail.

At this point, the deputy attorney general informed the court that all the parties involved in this case are from Punjab. In response, Justice Syed Arshad Ali remarked that the conduct of the government is also not appropriate.

Omar Ayub informed the court that while they were aware of some of the cases against them, others were still unknown to them. He added that they also had to attend the National Assembly sessions.

After hearing the arguments, the court granted protective bail to all four assembly members until November 8 and ordered that they not be arrested in any of the cases registered so far.